Apparatus for assembling fabricated structures



Feb 4, 1930. J.,A, ..VBICKEL ETAL SLEMBLING FAB APPQRATUS FOR AS RICATED STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 4, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet A anbwioz. 42m; 7 1 Mm elf/tom Feb. 4, 1930; J. A. BICKEL ET AL 1,745,471

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING FABRICATED STRUCTURES I Filed Aug. 4, 1927 v4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In A: 5

ai'we ntoz Feb. 4,1930. 7 J. A. BICKEL ET AL 1,745,471

APPARATU S FOR ASSEMBLING FABRICA'IED STRUCTURES V Filed Aug. 4, 1927, 4 Sheets-Sheet s Feb. 4, 1930. J. A. BICKEL ET AL I 1,745,471.

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V APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING FABRICATED STRUCTURES I Filed Aug. 4, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 I IIIIlIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Feb; 4, 1930 fUNITEDSTAT-Es JOHN ANDERSON Bre nL; or AKRON, ANDEEDWIN Mo RRIsMonRMANmF cLnvnLANn,

PATENT OFFICE OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO CONCRETE STEEL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATIQN OF DELAWARE 'HA'PPABATUS roa AssEiuBLI G FABRICA'IEI) s'rnucrunns Application filed August 4, 1927. Serial 110,210,553.

: i, This invention relates to apparatus forcassembling and holding bars in position to form a truss or other fabricatedstrueture in preparation for the welding operationwhich permanently joins, the bars to hold them in "desired position.

I i Its-is an ob ect'of the invention to provide 1 apparatus in which the truss or other structure may be rapidly assembled, and from which the completed structure may be rapidly and easily removed,.and an apparatus v i one of the endjigs. :Y

which shall permit ready accessibility to the jointsto be welded.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus which shall be easily and quickly adjustable to receive and hold work of different sizes. f

Other objects andadvantages of the'inven- 7 tion will appear hereinafter.

- A preferred embod'ment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation. v Figure 2 islan'end elevation Figure 3is an enlarged front elevation of Figure is a sectionfon the line/ll of Figure 3.

,Figure ES 1s an end elevation of one of the end jigs.

'Figure 6 is a frontelevation of. one of the intermediate jigs.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the intermediate jigs.

I Figure 8 is a section on the'line 8 8 of Figure 6.

' "FigureQ 1s a plan View of one of the end 1 s. 1 I l'figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 4. I v p I m (Figure 11 is a plan view of one of the intermediate jigs, and j 1 j N Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Figure 7.

Beferring'to the drawings, the apparatus inav be convenientlysupported upon a plurality of vertical 'members,as for example, "the vertical angle bars 1 which may be secured to the horizontal angle bars 2 which may rest on the floor or other supporting surface. Secured to the angle bars 1 and projectinghorizontally from one side thereof are a plurality of supporting members 3 which may serve as racks or shelves to support the bars or other material which are to be used in fabricating the truss.

Projecting from the other side of the angle bars 1 and secured thereto are plates 4 having a notch 5 formed therein to support a longitudinally extending member, herein an I beam 6 upon which aremounted a plurality of jigs which serve to hold the parts which are to be secured together in their desired relative positions.

For convenience, the apparatus has been illustrated and Will be described as em: ployed in the connection with the manufacture of fabricated bar truss'structures and particularly such structures having end bears ing sections of less depth than the main portion of the truss. The particular truss illustrated in the drawings comprises the upper compression chord members 10 and lower tension chord members 11 and intermediate web members 12. At the ends of the truss the chord members 10 and 11 converge for connection to an end bearing member 13 of inverted T shape in cross section. According to the present invention, in the process of manufacturing such trusses, the bars which form the same'are assembled and held to gether in proper relationship by means of jigs which will be described in detail hereinafter, end jigs 14 being provided to hold the end bearing sections of the truss, while the intermediate jigs 15 are provided to hold the bars forming the central portion of the truss.

Referring to Figures 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10, the end jigs comprise a base member 18 having a "recess 19 formed therein which fits over the outer flanges of the I beam 6, and is rigidly secured thereto by means of the clamps 20 which may be set up bymeans of bolts 21. Securedto-the base 18 is an angle bar 22 having a horizontal flange forming a supporting surface for the under side of theend bearing 7 means of the j Q As will be observed, the end jigs previously 10 and 11 and serves to maintain the same in proper spaced relationship. 7 v

Projecting forwardly from the base 18 are bearing members 25 upon which are pivotally mounted arms 26 carryingblocks which extend horizontally to engage the up per surface of the end bearing member 13,

and the upper surfaces and the sides of the outer chord members lO'and 11 to iholdj the same in proper position. The said arms 26 extend upwardly into engagement with the arm 28 and are held in pins 29.'

described may be easily and quickly adjusted to support end bearing .membersof trusses of different dimensions, The supporting flange 22 maybe adjusted vertically, the wedge 24 may be adjusted vertically by causing'it to engage different ones of the notches 30, and the arm 26' may be quickly removed by removing the bolt. 31 and a different arm carrying a block 27 of proper dimensions may be easily substituted. Furthermore, it

will be observed that by loosening the bolts 21 the end jigsmay be adjusted along the I beam 6 to any desired position.

Referring to Figures 6,7, 8, 11. and 12, the intermediate jigs comprise a base member 85 having a recess, 36 formed therein which fits over the outer flanges of the I beam Gand is adapted to be secured thereto by means of clamps 37 which maybe set up by means of bolts 88. The base member 35 is provided with a flange 39 which isadapted to'support the bottom chord membersof the truss and carries a lug 40 which supports the upper chord members 10 of the truss,

the saidlug being provided with a bolt 4E1 which projects through the slot 42 in order that the lugs 40 may be adjusted vertically with respect to the base 35. mounted'on the arm 44E of thejbase is an arm 45 carrying a blockedto engage and holdthe forward members 11 against the flange 89 and a block 47 to engage and hold the chord member-s10 against the lug 40.

As in the case of the end jigs, theint'ermediatejigs are quickly andeasily adjustable to receive, and hold trusses, of differentfsizes and shapes. The lug 40 maybe adjusted vertically in. the slot' 42 and the arm-t5 7 may be removed by removing the bolt 48 and may be replaced by a, different, arm ha-ving blocks A6 and A? suitably shaped and positioned, Likewise-the intermediate jigs may be adjusted laterally along theI-beam 6 by loosening the bolts 88 which" hold the clamps 37.:

Each of the intermediate jigsis provided} witha. notch 50 adapted to receive and 'hold one flange of the angle bar 51, the other flange of which extends outwardly above the flanges 39' so as to. support-[the chord" membersbetween the jigs andto prevent the web place thereon by Pivotally members from projectingbelow the lower surfaces of the chord members. As illustrated in the drawings, the angle bar 51 fits loosely in the notches'50 so that the intermediatejigs canbe moved easily along the bar. The said angle bar o'l'extends only through the intermediate jigs and need only i be of sufficient length to support the bottom chord membersto the pointiwhere they bend upwardly for connection ingmember 13L 1 f V In using the apparatus, the vertical supporting members Imaybe conveniently arranged inparallel rows to form stalls in with the end bearwhich the work may be conveniently carried on, the projecting racks 3 of one set ofmemc bersheing located opposite the I'beam- 6 of the next setof' members, so that the material held on the racks 3 may be conveniently located; for use'in forming. the truss. In the processofmanufacture, the bars which form the-truss are secured in placein-the jlgs, the

intermediate jigs and the end jigs being adjusted along the I beam 6- in such manner that they are located between the joints to dropped to release the completed truss,;the jaws of the blocks rotate away from the bars of the truss and permit the truss to be removed easily and quickly from the jigs. After one truss is completed, if another-truss of the same dimensions-isto be manufactured,

the operation may be repeated as before. If,

however, a-truss of different dimensions is to be manufactured, the. jigs may be adjusted to the proper size and, may be adjusted lati erally along the I beam to the proper p,osi-- tion and the new truss may then be formed.

It is to be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied Within the scope of the subjoin ed claims.

We claim as our invention: j 1. In anapparatus of the classgdescribed, in combination, a longitudinallyextending VI beam,a plurality of intermediate igs-mounted thereon and secured to the flanges of said beam, anda plurality of end jigs also secured:

,to the flanges-ofsaidbeam, said jigs being adjustable along said beam to permitthem to engagethe work at points removed fromthe joints to be secured. 2 In an apparatus of the class described, in

combination, a longitudinally 'eXtending I beam, and a plurality ofjigs secured to one flange, thereof, each of said jigs being separat'ely and individually adjustable'along said 7 member to permit engagement of the work. at points removed from the. joints tobe. secured.,,. i

c ao

80V or 3. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination,;a longitudinally extending structural shape, a plurality'of intermediate I jigs mounted thereon, a plurality of end jigs mounted thereon, each of said igs being separately and individually adjustable along said structural shape to permit engagement of thework, at points removed from the joints to'be secured, and a longitudinally extending member supported upon a plurality of said jigs for supporting the work at points therebetween.

4. A ig comprising a base, a flange projecting therefrom to receive and supportone side of the work to'be'held, a lug projecting therefrom to receive and support another side In'testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 1st day of August, 1927.

JOHN A. BICKEL. EDWIN M. MOHRMAN.

of the work, and an arm pivotally mounted on said base and carrying blocks which c0 I operate with said flange and lug to secure the work with respect thereto, said lug being adjustable longitudinally of said. base. I

5. A jig comprising a base, a flange pro;

' jecting therefrom to receive and supportone side of the work to be held, a lug projecting therefrom to receive and support another side of the work, and an arm pivotally mounted on said base and carrying blocks which cooperate with said flange and lug to secure the work with respect thereto, said arm being secured to said base by means of a removable bolt, whereby said arm may be easily re- 7 moved and replaced.

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a longitudinally extending structural shape, a plurality of end jigs I mounted thereon, a plurality of intermediate jigs mounted thereon and a longitudinally extending member supported upon said intermediate jigs for' supporting the work at points between said intermediate jigs.

7. A jig comprising a base, a flange projecting therefrom and adjustable along said base to receive and support the work to be held, an arm pivotally, mounted on said base,

and a block carried by said arm and adapted to cooperate with said flange to secure the Workwith respect thereto.

' cure the work with respect thereto, and means for securing said arm with respect to said base to clamp the work between the flange and the block.

' 9. Ajig comprising a base, a flange projecting therefrom to receive and support the work to be held, an arm pivotally mounted on said base, and a block carried by said arm and adapted to cooperate with said flange to secure the work with respect thereto, said arm being removably securedvto said base whereby said arm may be easily removed and replaced. s 

